Automatic switch control



May 21, 1929. L. BERNIER AUTOMATIC SWITCH CONTROL Filed April 1928' 1 NVEN TOR. L owls- .BeR m'ek A TTORNE Y.

Patented May 21, 1929.

' ou s Emma-or FERNDALE, MICHIGAN.

I 'nn'roma'ric swupcn common 1 Application filed April e,

My invention relates toa new and usefulimprovement in an automaticswitch control adapted for use on railroad tracks and has for its objectthe provision of a mechanical means whereby the operator of the vehicletravelling over the tracks may automatically, without leaving thevehicle and while the vehicle is still travelling, operate the switch; YK a It is another object of the invention to provide a device of thisclass whereby the operating mechanism, after being operated, to throwthe switch inone direction, is -automatically set for operation to throwthe switch in the opposite direction. 7 Another ob ect of the'inventionis the provision of a device of this kind which will be simple instructure, economical of manu facture, durable and highly eificient inuse. Other objects will appear hereinafter. The invention consists in.the combination and arrangement of .parts hereinafter described andclaimed; a The invention will be best understood by a reference to theaccompanying drawings which form apart of this specification and inwhich, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the invention showing it installed.1

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line, 2-2 of Fig. 1 with a fragmentof, a vehicle shown thereon: i. Fig. 3 is a perspective'view of theoperat-- ing mechanism used'in the invention.

The device may be used on railroad tracks extending beyond the limits ofa city. or may be used on street car tracks lald in the streets of acity, and in the drawings Ihave illustrated the adaptation of theinvention.-

to the rails 9 and 10 which are laidin a street; A branch track 11 isillustrated, in

connection withtwhich is used the swing ably mounted rail'or switch 12,the location of which will determine the direction of travel of avehicle after passing the same when travelling from left to right onythedrawings. 1 Mounted between the rails 9 and 10 in a housing 13 having.the cover 14 provided with a slot 1 5. Formed'in this housing is acompartmentzm havingtho elongated portion 17,:whichextendsbeyond thefree'end of the switchrail 12. Mounted on the base 18 of this housingare spaced supports 19 and 20,exteriding slidably through which are therods 21 andg22. Fixedly 1928. Serial no; 265,576. mounted on the rods 21and 22 is the bridge 23. Swmg'ably'mountedon the upper surface of thebridge 23 is the wedge-shaped actuating. finger 24 carrying thewedgeshapedjhead 25 preferably formed integral 'tllGI'GWlth, Pro ectingupwardly fromopposite sides of the bridge 23 are the studs or engagementmembers 26 and 27 which are adapted to engage opposite faces of theactuatmg finger. 24:, when the same is swung on its pivot. Preferablyformed integral witl'rand projecting upwardlyv fromj the, bridge 23 arethe spaced lugs 28 and 2.9, between. which engages one end of the rod 30which is pivotally mounted on these lugs 29' and 28 and which engagesinv the notch 31 formed in the upper edge of the support 20., Pivotallyconnected at; one end to the: outerend of the rod 30 is the operatingbar 32' .75 its ends, at a flattened portion 33, on a. support 34positioned in the: compartment 17.

which is pivotally connected, intermediate Connect-ed pivotally at oneend to the oppo-. site end of the bar 32 is {a link 35 which ispivotally connected, intermediate its ends toa' pair of spaced lugs 36and 37" which project outwardly from and are secured to one face of theswitch rail 12.

Mounted on the under-surface of the floor 38 of the vehicle is a bolster39. A rod 40 is projected through the floor 38and through the bolster 39so as to lie, when the vehicle is drawn over the tracks, in. alignmentwith a the slot. 15." A spring 41serves to normally retain the lower endof the rod 40 spaced above thecover 14:.

In operation, when the vehicle is being propelled over. the rails 9 and10 and .the

throw the switch to its other position the operator of the vehicle will,by pressing on the head 42 of the rod 40, .force' the rod 40 downwardlyagainst the compression of'the spring v41 so that the. lower end of the'rod switch is approached, and it is desired to nism so asto cross overthe location of the bridge 23,,thelower end of the rod LO will -engage:oneface of the finger 24. A. shown in full lines in Fig.1 and Fig. 3,this finger 1S 'lI1 engagementwith the stud 27, andin order to permitthe rod 40 to pass beyond the same, the rod engaging the inclined faceof the finger will force the bridge to move toward the left, thusrocking the bar 32 and moving it into the position shown in dotted linesin Fig. 1, thus effecting a movement of the switch rails 12 into theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this manner the switch isthrown. Asthe end of the slot 15 is approached, the end of the rod40will engage the inclined surface so that it will moveout of engagementwith the slot 15 without striking any abrupt shoulder on the cover 14. 7

As the pin passes the wedge-shaped head 25, the finger 24 will be rockedon its pivot into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 so thatthe finger 24 will be moved into eng. ement with the stud 26. In thisposition a succeeding vehicle desiring to travel inthe same direction asthe preceding vehicle would not effect any operation of the switch, butone desiring to travel in a direction determined by the throwing of theswitch into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 would press therod 40 downwardly so as tooperate the switch. The opposite face of thefinger 24 would in this case be engaged and an opposite movement of thebridge 23 eli'ected with a resultant rocking of the actuating finger 24,on its pivot, to prepare it for the next operation, so that the switchmay again be thrown into its prior position.

i it will be noted that in the switch itself there is an absence ofsprings. In this manner I have provided a mechanically operated devicewhereby the operator of the vehicle may automatically, while the vehicleis travelling, throw a switch which is to be approached and prepare, atthe same time, the actuating mechanism for operating the switch in theopposite direction by a succeeding operation.

The simplicity of the device is believed evident, as well as itseconomical structure.

I/Vhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of myinvention I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details ofstructure shown, but desire to avail myself of such variations andmodifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch control of the class described, adapted for use on atrack having a movable switch rail, comprising: a rockable bar; meansfor connecting one end of said bar to said switch rail; a movablesupporting member; means for connecting the opposite end of said bar tosaid movable supporting member; an engagement member rockably mounted onsaid supporting memher; and spaced means projecting upwardly from saidsupporting member for limiting the rocking movement of said rockablememher.

2. In a switch control of the class described, adapted for use on atrack having a movable switch rail, comprising: a rockable bar; meansfor connecting one end of said bar to said switch. rail; a movablesupporting member; means for connecting the opposite end of said bar tosaid movable supporting member; an engagement member rockably mounted onsaid supporting member spaced means projecting upwardly from saidsupporting member for limiting the rocking movement of said rockablemember; and a Wedge head carried on one end of said rockable means.

3. In a switch control of the class described adapted for use on a trackhaving a movable switch rail, a rockable bar; means for connecting oneend of said bar to said rail; a slidable supporting member; means forconnecting the opposite end of said bar to said supporting member; awedge-shaped member rockably mounted on said support ing member; andmeans on said supporting member for limiting rockable movement of saidwedge-shaped member in either direction.

4. In a switch control of the class described adapted for use on a trackhaving a movable switch rail, a rockable bar; means for connecting oneend of said bar to said rail; a slidable supporting member; means forconnecting the opposite end of said bar to said supporting member; awedge-shaped member rockably mounted on said supporting member; means onsaid supporting member for limiting rockable movement of saidwedge-shaped member in either direction; and a wedge-shaped head carriedon one end of said rockable wedge member.

5. In a switch control of the class described adapted for use on a trackhaving a movably mounted switch rail, a rockably mounted bar; means forconnecting one end of said bar to said rail; a slidably mountedsupporting member; means for connecting the opposite end of said bar tosaid supporting member, the rocking of said bar effecting a movement ofsaid switch rail from one position to another; an engagement memberhaving inclined engaging faces at opposite sides and rockably mounted onsaid supportingmember; and means on said supporting member for limitingrocking movement of said engagement member in either direction beyond apredeterminedposition.

6. In a switch control of the class de scribed adapted for use on atrack having a movably mounted switch rail, a rockably mounted bar;means for connecting one end of said bar to said rail; a slidablymounted supporting member; means for connecting the opposite end of saidbar to said supporting member, the rocking of said bar eflecting amovement of said switch rail from one osition to another; an engagementmember having inclined engaging faces at opposite sides and rockablymounted on said supporting member; means on said supporting member forlimiting rocking movement of said engagement member in either directionbeyond a predetermined position; a separable actuatingmember movablymounted on a vehicle travelling over said track and adapted for movementinto operativeand inoperative position, said separable member, uponmovement of said vehicle over said track determining a predeterminedline longitudinally of said track and adapted for engaging one or theother of the inclined engaging surfaces of said engagement memberandriding therealong, the travel of said separable member along saidengaging surfaces effecting a slidable movement of said supportingmember, the engagement face engaged depending upon the position ofrockin of said engagement member.

In a switch control of the class described adapted for use on a trackhaving a movably mounted switch rail, a rockably mounted bar; means forconnecting one end of said bar to said rail; a slidably mountedsupporting member; means for connectingthe opposite end of said bar tosaid supporting member, the rocking of said bar effecting a movement ofsaid switch rail from one, position to another an enga ement memberhaving inclined engaging Faces at opposite sides and rockably mounted onsaid supporting member; means on said supporting member for limitingrocking movement of saidengagement member in either direction beyond apredetermined position; a separable actuating member movably mounted ona vehicle travelling over said track and adapted for movement intooperative and inoperative position, said separable member, upon movementof said vehicle over said track determining a predetermined linelongitudinally of said track and adapted for engaging one or the otherof the inclined engaging surfaces of said engagement member and ridingtherealong,the-travel of said separable member along said engagingsurfaces. effecting a slidable movement of said supporting member, theengagement face engaged depending upon the position of rocking of saidengagement member, the plvot of said engagement member bein positionedat one side or the other of said line depend ing upon the engagementface last engaged 1 by said separable member.

8. In a switch control of the class described adapted for use on a trackhaving a movably mounted switch rail, a rockably.

mounted bar; means for connecting one'end of said bar to said rail; aslidably mounted supporting member; means for connecting the oppositeend of said bar tosaid su porting member, the rocking of said bar eecting a movement of said switch rail from one position to another; anengagement member having inclined engaging faces at opposite sides androckably mounted on said supporting member; means on said supportingmember for limiting rocking movement of said engagement member in eitherdirection beyond a predetermined position; a separable actuating membermovably-mounted on a vehicle travelling over said track and adapted formovement into operative. and inoperative position, said separablemember, upon movement of said vehicle over said track determining apredetermined line 1on gitudinally of said track and adapted forengaging one end or the other of the inclined engaging surfaces of saidengagement member and riding therealong, the travel of said separablemember along said engaging surfaces effecting a slidable movement ofsaid supporting member, the engagement face engaged depending upon theposition of rocking of said engagement member, the. pivot of saidengagement member being positioned at one side or the other of said linedepending upon the engagement face last engaged by said separablemember; and means on said engagement member engageable with saidseparable member for rocking,

subsequent to the slidable movement of said

